Written by The Osterman Team, REALTORS® at The Agency
Why is East Covell in Edmond getting stores before its road? The direct answer is that the stores run on private timelines and the road runs on public ones. Three drive-thrus came to the corner of Covell and Sooner this fall, a much larger center anchored by Whole Foods is under construction at I-35 with a 2027 target, and the Covell widening and a 1925 bridge on Sooner Road are still in the cost-estimate stage with no funding decision on record. We follow north Edmond development closely because the gap between when a place opens and when its road catches up shapes what daily life feels like for the people who live nearby.
The Osterman Team is a team of REALTORS® at The Agency in Oklahoma City, Edmond, and Arcadia, helping homeowners and buyers move forward with a clear plan and no surprises.
What opened at Covell and Sooner in fall 2026?
Within about seven weeks this fall, the south side of Covell Road just west of Sooner went from a few graded pads to three drive-thrus. All three are in Covell Crossing, the center at the southwest corner of Covell and Sooner. Creighton Companies, LLC filed for the center's final plat with the city.
- Whataburger, 4132 E. Covell Rd. Grand opening and Chamber ribbon cutting on Aug. 22, 2026, as reported by the Journal Record. The story does not give a first day of service.
- Chick-fil-A Covell & Sooner, 4200 E. Covell Rd. Announced to begin serving Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, at 6 a.m. The announcement named Greg Harjo as owner-operator and said this is his third Chick-fil-A in the Edmond community.
- Panda Express, 4116 Covell Rd. Chamber ribbon cutting scheduled for Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, at 9:30 a.m., per the Edmond Chamber's events page. A city planning memo from April 2025 describes it as a 2,784-square-foot restaurant on the south side of Covell, west of Sooner.
The city has also shown it is screening what goes into this center. In August, the Oklahoman reported that City Council rejected a Club Car Wash proposal for Covell Crossing.
All three restaurants are quick-service places built around drive-thru lanes. That kind of business creates many short trips through the day, and all of those trips use the same stretch of Covell near one intersection.
What is coming to Legacy at Covell in 2027?
Legacy at Covell sits on the northwest corner of I-35 and Covell Road. The developer named in the city's March 2026 incentive agreement is Covell-35 Development, LLC. When council approved a $17 million retail incentive in March, NonDoc reported that these tenants had already signed leases:
- Whole Foods
- Dick's Sporting Goods
- PetSmart
- Hobby Lobby
- La La Land Coffee
- AT&T
- Pei Wei
- Chase Bank
- Chipotle
- Shake Shack
- Texas Roadhouse
- Mauve Nail Salon
The incentive agreement's target list also includes Barnes & Noble or a substitute retailer, plus Cooper's Hawk or Ruth's Chris as alternatives, which leaves open which of the alternatives actually comes. Under the incentive structure, the developer can receive up to nearly $1.9 million per targeted tenant, paid in two installments: half after a certificate of occupancy is issued, and the rest once the business has operated for 180 days.
When will the Legacy at Covell stores open?
Timing has been described a few ways. In March, NonDoc reported that the city expected Whole Foods to open "within 12 to 14 months," which puts it around spring 2027. In August, KFOR reported that construction was underway and that, according to the city, shops would open "next year." The station listed PetSmart, Dick's Sporting Goods, Barnes & Noble, Hobby Lobby, and Whole Foods as confirmed, and also said many stores were still in early stages of confirmation. That August report was the most recent public update on the project as of Oct. 10, so the tenant list above is the March snapshot.
Jennifer Thornton, Edmond's Director of Communications and Tourism, told KFOR, "We've had a lot of dirt at Sooner and Covell for years, and now we get to have some great anchors at Legacy at Covell development." She also said the city now has 100,000 residents.
Put Covell Crossing and Legacy at Covell together and the trips add up. Three fast-food lanes at Sooner today. Next year, a grocery anchor, big-box retail, a coffee shop, sit-down restaurants, and a bank at I-35. All of that traffic lands on the same road within about a mile.
Where does the Covell Road widening stand?
Edmond's Capital Improvement Projects Advisory Board has been working through what Covell itself needs, and its own minutes show how early that work is.
At its June 16, 2026 meeting, staff presented a comprehensive project for Covell from Santa Fe to I-35. The construction estimate was $75 million to $80 million, with another $15 million to $20 million for right-of-way, engineering, and utility relocation. Staff said engineering, land acquisition, and utility relocation would take years before construction could start. Board members discussed whether to make Covell a priority for the 2027 CIP sales tax, took no action, and asked for more analysis.
At the Aug. 18 meeting, the board described the corridor widening as a roughly $100 million project running from about 1,000 feet west of Santa Fe toward I-35. It could be done as a single corridor project or broken into separate intersections. Improvements at Bryant and Covell alone were estimated at $28.90 million. The prioritization list in the Sept. 15 agenda packet puts Covell & Santa Fe at $30 million with a seven-year completion estimate, and Covell & Coltrane at $45 million with a six-year estimate. On that agenda, prioritization was a discussion item with an "Action Needed" line of N/A. No ranking or funding vote on Covell appears in the records through that meeting.
Geography matters here. The widening under study ends at I-35, at the corner where Legacy at Covell is going up. The three restaurants at Sooner are east of the interstate, past the end of the study area.
The Osterman Team is a team of REALTORS® at The Agency in Oklahoma City, Edmond, and Arcadia, helping homeowners and buyers move forward with a clear plan and no surprises.
What is the 1925 bridge on Sooner Road?
The closest piece of aging infrastructure to Covell Crossing is on Sooner Road. The August minutes describe it this way: "The bridge, located on Sooner Road between Coffee Creek and Covell Road, was constructed in 1925 and is currently rated structurally deficient. It remains open and is inspected every six months but will ultimately require full replacement."
City records call it Bridge 12373. Replacement is estimated at about $2.2 million. Staff said the work could be finished in roughly six months to a year if it became a higher priority, and they were waiting on the latest bridge assessment. A replacement would be built wide enough for the future full-width Sooner Road. The board also discussed developer participation in infrastructure costs as the area keeps developing. The Sept. 15 prioritization list carries the bridge at $2.20 million with a two-year completion estimate. As of the September agenda, it was still a line on a list waiting to be ranked.
How do the next few years sequence on East Covell?
- Fall 2026. Covell Crossing fills in. Whataburger's grand opening was Aug. 22, Chick-fil-A's announced start was Oct. 8, and Panda Express's ribbon cutting was scheduled for Oct. 12.
- 2027. Legacy at Covell's stores are expected to open, according to the city's statement to KFOR. The March projection put Whole Foods around spring.
- 2027 CIP sales tax cycle. The advisory board is weighing whether Covell, its major intersections, or the Sooner Road bridge move to the top of the list.
- Years after that. Covell widening construction begins, after the engineering, right-of-way, and utility work staff described in June.
The first two items have dates attached. The last two depend on decisions the CIP board had not made as of its September agenda.
How should you think about East Covell if you are buying or selling nearby?
Here's what we would do, step by step:
- Drive it at the busy hours. Go past Covell and Sooner at breakfast, lunch, and the evening rush, not just on a quiet afternoon.
- Map your daily routes. Work, school, and errands. Note which ones use Covell between Sooner and I-35.
- Read the CIP board minutes. They are public and they are where the road's future gets decided.
- Separate what is dated from what is not. Store openings have dates. The widening and the bridge do not yet.
- If you are selling, be ready to explain it. Buyers will ask about the new stores and the traffic. A clear, factual answer is better than a vague one.
For broader context on how Edmond's newer homes compare to the ones around them, see Why do Edmond's newest homes take longer to sell than the ones next door?.
What mistakes do people make reading a corridor like this?
- Assuming the road comes with the stores. It does not. The widening under study ends at I-35, and no funding vote is on record.
- Reading one quiet visit as the whole picture. Drive-thru traffic comes in waves through the day.
- Treating a signed lease as an opening date. KFOR reported many Legacy at Covell stores were still in early stages of confirmation.
- Ignoring the bridge. It is open and inspected every six months, but it is rated structurally deficient and will eventually need full replacement.
What does an ordinary evening on East Covell look like?
Picture a homeowner who lives off Sooner, a short drive from the new Chick-fil-A. On a normal Tuesday evening they head out for groceries and find the drive-thru lanes busy and the turn onto Covell slower than it used to be.
Now picture the same drive next year, with Legacy at Covell open at I-35. More trips land on the same lanes, and those lanes do not have a construction date yet. Let's look at this through a buyer's eyes. The new shopping is a real convenience. The traffic is a real tradeoff. Both are worth knowing before you choose a street, and neither is a reason to panic.
What local signals should you watch on East Covell?
- The CIP board's next prioritization decision. It is the date that will decide how East Covell drives once Legacy at Covell opens.
- The Sooner Road bridge assessment. Staff were waiting on it, and the bridge could move quickly if it is ranked higher.
- Legacy at Covell tenant confirmations. Watch which of the alternative tenants actually come.
- City Council decisions on Covell Crossing. The council has already turned down one proposal there.
- Other changes around Edmond. See What changed in downtown Edmond around Broadway and Hurd in summer 2026? and When will Edmond's Spring Creek to Arcadia Lake trail connector open?.
What should you do next if you live near Covell or Sooner?
We wouldn't panic about the traffic, and we wouldn't ignore it either. If you are also weighing how today's rates affect a move, What is hurting your home's value when interest rates are high? is a good companion read.
The Osterman Team is a team of REALTORS® at The Agency in Oklahoma City, Edmond, and Arcadia, helping homeowners and buyers move forward with a clear plan and no surprises. If you live off Covell or Sooner and want to know how this corridor's timeline fits your own plans, call or text The Osterman Team at 405-593-8326.
What questions do people ask about East Covell in Edmond?
What restaurants opened at Covell and Sooner in Edmond?
The restaurants that opened at Covell and Sooner in Edmond are Whataburger at 4132 E. Covell, Chick-fil-A at 4200 E. Covell, and Panda Express at 4116 Covell Road, all in Covell Crossing.
When will Whole Foods open at Legacy at Covell?
Whole Foods at Legacy at Covell was expected by the city to open within 12 to 14 months of March 2026, around spring 2027, and the city told KFOR in August that shops would open next year.
Is Covell Road being widened in Edmond?
Covell Road widening in Edmond is still being studied. The CIP Advisory Board has discussed a roughly $100 million corridor project toward I-35, but no ranking or funding vote appears in the records through its Sept. 15 meeting.
Is the Sooner Road bridge near Covell still open?
The Sooner Road bridge near Covell is still open and is inspected every six months, according to city minutes. It was built in 1925, is rated structurally deficient, and will ultimately require full replacement.
Does the Covell widening study include Covell and Sooner?
The Covell widening study does not reach Covell and Sooner. It ends at I-35, and the three new restaurants at Sooner are east of the interstate, past the end of the study area.
